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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Power coop adopts 'read-bill' to hike collection
KALINGA-APAYAO Electric Cooperative (Kaelco) is aiming for 96 percent collection efficiency with the adoption of the read and bill program, with the town of Tabuk as pilot area, considering it more or less has 10,500 consumers.
All other barangays of Tabuk not covered by the program will be distributed to Kaelco's eight collectors.
Kaelco Institutional Services department manager Marites Dumagas said the read and bill program will be implemented next month. Under the read-bill program, innovative ways are created to achieve revenue targets by increasing productivity, reducing operating costs and system loss. This will update the cooperative internal data storage and retrieval system through computerized read and bill system since a more accurate reading or zero percent error can be attained.
At most, the program will shorten reading and billing period, simultaneous read-and-bill service enhances faster turnaround time between billing and payment, Dumagas said.
She added the cooperative spends more with the separate billing and collecting by the collectors. The read and bill strategy will absorb the job of the collectors while paying period is longer from 20 to 30 days. Eight regular collectors will concentrate collecting in the barangays outside of Tabuk while the Tuguegarao-based contractor - Darts Computerized Services Inc. - will do the read-bill job.
The contractor provides the necessary equipment, technical-know-how, manpower, materials and supplies in the shifting from manual reading into a computerized system that would ease coop to modify its data requirements and bill format.
The computer uses a Palm Pilot reading gadget with a built-in Thermal Portable and a rechargeable battery pack that can reproduce all information contained in the coop's unbundled monthly billing statement. All banks in Tabuk would also be tapped where consumers to pay.
Dumagas said aside from delinquent consumers, Kaelco is also confronted with problem on systems loss due to power pilferage and illegal connections where they have incurred P18 million debts with National Power Corporation (Napocor).
Kaelco has been warned of a possible power cut if it would not settle the account immediately. She explained that a power cut will affect peace and order, disrupt business and deprive the paying consumers.
Kaelco is now conducting massive information campaigns on the read and bill project thru radio programs, series of meetings with consumers for them to pay their dues and disconnection for those delinquent.
The accumulated P25 million collectibles still in the hands of consumers is sufficient to cover the accounts payable to Napocor.
(August 9, 2006 issue)
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